At the onset and peak of COVID-19, telehealth became one of the main ways patients, their families and care partners connected with doctors, nurses, and other important members of their health care team. Telehealth made it easier for patients to be seen, it was covered by Medicare and Medicaid and most medical insurance —and most importantly—patients could receive quality, convenient care in the middle of a pandemic.

Through the pandemic, we learned with telehealth:

  • More people can get the care they need no matter how far they live from a doctor's office or hospital.
  • Fewer people have to take off from work, find child or elder care or ask someone to drive them to their appointments.
  • Patients can stay in their home and avoid an Urgent Care or Emergency Room visit while managing a chronic disease or illness.

Overall, telehealth makes it easier for more people to get quality healthcare with less cost and hassle.

We need your help to keep telehealth services permanent.

The laws that made telehealth services available to everyone at the start of COVID-19 are going to end. To keep telehealth available for everyone, we need your help today.

    1. Learn more. Click here to read this information sheet about why telehealth is important and about the legislation in Congress right now to keep it available. For a more in-depth perspective, download the "Virtual and Telehealth Recommendations" whitepaper.
    2. Contact your representative and senator now. You can find your representative's and senator's contact information through official government websites. Most of these sites will take you to each senator's and representative's personal website, where you can find a contact form to complete. These websites may also ask you for some information before you can send your message.

Copy and paste the following text into your representative's or senator's website form to explain why they need to vote for legislation to make telehealth services permanent.

[DATE]

Dear Representative/Senator [NAME OF CONGRESSPERSON]

As a [PATIENT ADVISOR, COMMUNITY MEMBER, PATIENT, ETC.] , I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and/or support three pieces of legislation that address the need for the comprehensive expansion of telehealth services nationally.

Telehealth has been a lifeline through the pandemic, ensuring as many people as possible received quality healthcare. We need to protect and preserve everyone's rights to telehealth by making telehealth access permanent for all. These policy changes will ensure equitable and easy access to a broad scope of telehealth services for patients and care partners, as well as adequate permanent payment by all payors.

We ask you to co-sponsor and/or support the following legislation:

  • CONNECT for Health Act (S. 1512/H.R. 2903)
  • Telehealth Modernization Act (S. 368/H.R. 1332)
  • TREAT Act (S. 168/H.R. 708)

Patients, families and care partners deserve continued support to keep our nation as healthy as possible.

Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,

[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]

*The Patient Experience Policy Forum advocates for and helps to shape policy at the national and local levels on issues that directly affect patient, family and care partner experience and elevate the human experience in healthcare

3. Spread the word. Share this post on social media and let everyone know how important telehealth access is for everyone - and how to help support this cause.

Copy and paste this text and graphic into your social media post:

Keep telehealth available for everyone! The laws that make it possible for people to get healthcare from home are ending. Learn more and make sure telehealth doesn't go away. https://bit.ly/3XShr6F

To save the graphic: Right-click with your mouse and save this image to your desktop. You can then upload it to your social media post.